Дисертації з теми "Cocktail effects"

"American cranberry (Vacciniumm macrocarpon) has been long known for its benefits in maintaining urinary tract health. Clinical trials have shown that drinking cranberry juice can prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in various subpopulations that are prone to UTIs, especially women, but the mechanisms by which cranberry acts against uropathogenic bacteria are still unclear. Studies showed that when exposed to cranberry juice or A- PACs, a group of tannins that are unique to cranberry, the adhesion activity and biofilm formation of uropathogenic bacteria were reduced. However, the metabolism of cranberry juice has not be elucidated, therefore further study is needed to find out whether the anti-bacterial components in cranberry could survive the digestive system and reach the urinary tract, and how the components or metabolites remaining in urine act against uropathogenic bacteria. We used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the surface adhesion force of uropathogenic E. coli incubated with urine samples that were collected from volunteers after drinking 16 oz. of cranberry juice cocktail (CJC) or water. The urine samples were collected at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours after CJC or water consumption. When incubated with post-water urine, the adhesion forces of pathogenic bacteria that have fimbriae (E. coli B37, B73, B78, BF1023, CFT 073, and J96) did not change; whereas the adhesion forces of these strains decreased over the 8 hour period after CJC consumption. The control strain that does not have frimbriae, E. coli HB101, showed low adhesion force when incubated with post-water and post-CJC urine. In a human red blood cell agglutination (HRBC) assay, the attachment of pathogenic E. coli to red blood cells was significantly lower after exposed to post-CJC urine, compared to those exposed to post-water urine. These results indicate the anti-bacteria components or metabolites of CJC stay active in urine, and these compounds prevent adhesion of E. coli by reducing fimbriae-mediated adhesion. We also examined the effects of drinking CJC on biofilm formation of uropathogenic bacteria. Female volunteers were given 16 oz. of CJC or placebo, and their urine was collected at 0, 2, 8, 24, and 48 hours after consumption. Bacteria (E. coli B37, CFT073, BF1023, HB101, and S. aureus ATCC43866) were cultured in a mixture of urine and growth media in 96 well microtiters. The biofilm formed was quantified by staining the biofilm dissolved in a solvent with crystal violet and measuring the absorbance at 600 nm. The results showed that biofilm formation was reduced within 24 hours after CJC consumption, and it started to increase after 48 hours, possibly due to the washout of CJC in the system. These studies suggest that CJC can be an effective preventive measure for UTIs as it inhibits adhesion and biofilm formation of uropathogenic bacteria."

Master of Science
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Philip L. Barnes
The world’s population has passed 7 billion and is expected grow to more alarming numbers by the year 2050. The increase in human life on the planet ushers the need to responsibly and sustainably grow more food. In order to meet the demand necessary, it is crucial that soil remains healthy and crop yields continue to increase in efficiency. Irresponsible or ill-informed practices can lead to depleted resources and degradation of fertile soils that may limit a producers’ ability to sustainably grow food. Cover crops are a tool that can be used to address issues the modern producer may face. Cover crops have been shown to increase cash crop productivity, improve soil health by improving soil physical and chemical properties as well as providing protection from soil erosion runoff or nutrient leaching. A study was conducted in 2014 to examine the short term effects associated with cover cropping systems. The effects of ryegrass, red clover and a cover crop cocktail (mixture of ryegrass, red clover and hairy vetch) compared to bare tilled and bare control plots were studied. The five treatments were replicated three times in a completely randomized study and analyzed. Soil physical health indicators such as bulk density and porosity were calculated. Soil and cover crop nutrient use, as well as, soil moisture content data was collected and analyzed using excel and ANOVA statistical procedures. In the short term, the study found that there was only statistically significant differences between cover cropping regimens, tilled and control plots in regards to biomass production and biomass nutrient concentrations (α=0.05). The cocktail mix provided more biomass, N and P than the ryegrass and clover plots alone. Observable differences in cover crop volumetric soil moisture and water used between plots demonstrated that cover crops utilize soil moisture in the short term, which must be considered in areas experiencing water stress. Although more long-term data is needed to truly quantify how cover crops effect various aspects of soil health, this study demonstrated how cover crops have the potential for providing numerous benefits such as increased erosion control, lower reliance on anthropogenically created nutrients and the reduction of weeds. Overall the benefits associated with cover crops are still being researched and while adoption of cover cropping systems has been slow, a push towards agricultural sustainability while increasing food production will increase the amount of producers utilizing cover crops in the coming years.

Les micropolluants, dont les pesticides et les résidus pharmaceutiques, constituent une menace pour les écosystèmes aquatiques. Dans ces écosystèmes, les micropolluants rencontrent l'interface sédiment-eau (SWI), une zone biogéochimiquement active pour leur dissipation. Cette thèse examine les facteurs environnementaux impliqués dans la dégradation des micropolluants emblématiques, tels que le (S)-métolachlore (herbicide agricole), le terbutryn (biocide urbain) et la metformine (médicament antidiabétique), dans des microcosmes de laboratoire mimant l'interface eau-sédiment. Elle explore comment les communautés procaryotes répondent à l'exposition à des mélanges de micropolluants, à des événements de contamination successifs et à des conditions variables d'oxygène. La metformine et le métolachlore se sont dissipés, tandis que la terbutryne persiste. La metformine se dégrade aussi en anoxie. L'analyse de séquence des amplicons du gène 16S ARNr a mis en évidence des réponses distinctes des communautés microbiennes dans les expériences avec des micropolluants individuels ou en mélanges, ainsi qu'un effet combiné de l'exposition à la metformine et des alternances des conditions d'oxygène. Un nouveau modèle a mis en évidence des effets non additifs, antagonistes et synergiques des micropolluants sur des taxons spécifiques. Enfin, des expériences exploratoires de marquage isotopique stable avec du glucose 13C et de la metformine 13C2-méthylée permettent d’identifier les procaryotes assimilant potentiellement la metformine-diméthylamine. Cette thèse fournit un cadre pour l’étude des dynamiques régissant le comportement des micropolluants et souligne la diversité des interactions potentielles entre les micropolluants, les communautés procaryotes et les facteurs environnementaux dans l'étude de l'interface eau-sédiment multi-contaminée
Micropollutants, including pesticides and pharmaceuticals, pose a growing threat to aquatic ecosystems. In aquatic ecosystems, micropollutants encounter the sediment-water interface (SWI), a crucial biogeochemical hotspot for their dissipation. This PhD thesis examines the effects of environmental factors on the degradation of emblematic micropollutants, such as (S)-metolachlor (agricultural herbicide), terbutryn (urban biocide) and metformin (antidiabetic drug) in laboratory microcosms mimicking the sediment-water interface. Additionally, it explores how prokaryotic communities respond to exposure to micropollutant mixtures, successive contamination events, and varying oxygen conditions. Dissipation of metformin and metolachlor occurred while terbutryn persisted. Metformin dissipation also occurred under anoxic conditions. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons evidenced distinct responses of prokaryotic communities in experiments with individual micropollutant or mixtures thereof, and a combined effect of metformin exposure and alternances of oxygen conditions. A newly developed model highlighted non-additive antagonistic and synergistic effects of micropollutants on specific taxa across taxonomic levels. Finally, exploratory Stable Isotope Probing experiments with 13C-glucose and methyl-labelled 13C2-metformin were designed to identify potential metformin-dimethylamine assimilating prokaryotes. Altogether, this thesis provides a framework to investigate dynamics governing the behaviour of micropollutant mixtures and underscores the diversity of potential interactions between micropollutants, prokaryotic communities, and environmental factors in the study of multi-contaminated SWI

Les données scientifiques actuelles suggèrent un déclin de la diversité et de l’abondance des insectes, y compris les abeilles domestiques Apis mellifera. Ces dernières sont confrontées à de fortes pertes de colonies dans plusieurs régions du monde telles que l’ouest de l’Europe et les États-Unis. De nombreuses études suggèrent que l’origine du déclin des colonies d’abeilles est multicausale et identifient les pesticides et les agents pathogènes comme étant les principaux contributeurs à ce déclin. La co-exposition des abeilles à de multiples pesticides et l’infection par plusieurs pathogènes constituent un phénomène courant. Cependant, les recherches sur les effets des mélanges de pesticides n’ont pas fait l’objet d’un intense développement. Ainsi, les travaux conduits dans le cadre de cette thèse ont été focalisés sur la détermination de la toxicité des mélanges de pesticides, appliqués à des niveaux d’exposition environnementaux, en présence d’un agent pathogène. Le choix s’est porté sur l’étude des interactions entre un insecticide néonicotinoïde, l’imidaclopride, un fongicide azole, le difénoconazole, et un herbicide, le glyphosate, en présence de l’agent pathogène Nosema ceranae. Les résultats des différentes études effectuées durant cette thèse, révèlent la complexité des études sur les mélanges de pesticides. Ces travaux nous ont permis de constater que les effets d’un mélange de pesticides peuvent fortement varier en fonction des concentrations des pesticides constituant le mélange. L’augmentation du nombre de substances et du niveau d’exposition, n’induit pas nécessairement une augmentation de la toxicité du mélange. De plus, les effets du mélange peuvent varier en fonction de la séquence d’exposition aux pesticides et de l’état sanitaire des abeilles. Les mélanges de pesticides affectent l’état physiologique des abeilles suite à une réponse systémique liée à des perturbations de mécanisme généraux tels que le stress oxydant. Cependant, ces trois pesticides, seuls et en mélanges n’ont aucun effet sur l’installation du microbiote intestinal à des niveaux d’exposition environnementaux
Current scientific findings suggest a decline in the diversity and abundance of insects, including the honey bee Apis mellifera. The latter are facing high colony losses in several regions of the world such as Western Europe and the United States. Numerous studies suggest that the origin of bee colony decline is multi-causal and identify pesticides and pathogens as the main contributors to this decline. Co-exposure of honey bees to multiple pesticides and infection by multiple pathogens are common phenomena. However, research on the effects of pesticide mixtures has not been extensively developed. Thus, the thesis work has focused on determining the toxicity of pesticide mixtures, applied at environmental exposure levels, in the presence of pathogens. The choice was made to study the interactions between a neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, an azole fungicide, difenoconazole, and a herbicide, glyphosate, in the presence of the pathogen Nosema ceranae. The results of the different studies, carried out during this thesis, reveal the complexity of the studies on pesticide mixtures. The work allowed us to notice that the effects of a pesticide mixture can vary according to the concentrations of the pesticides constituting the mixture. The increase of the number of substances and the level of exposure does not necessarily induce an increase of the toxicity of the mixture. Furthermore, the effects of the mixture may vary depending on the sequence of exposure to the different pesticides and the health status of the honey bees. Pesticide mixtures affect the physiological state of individuals as a result of a systemic response related to disturbances of general mechanisms such as oxidative stress. However, these three pesticides, alone and in mixtures, have no effect on the installation of the intestinal microbiota at environmental exposure levels

Depuis plusieurs décennies, le déclin des oiseaux spécialistes des milieux agricoles anime le monde scientifique à travers une large documentation sur les causes et les conséquences de ce phénomène. Une des questions clefs porte sur la part de responsabilité des pesticides dans cette tendance, car les études menées jusqu’ici indiquent des relations de cause à effet sans pour autant identifier clairement les mécanismes sous-jacents. L'un des défis majeurs est donc de fournir des faits pertinents sur le plan biologique pour une meilleure évaluation des risques liés aux pesticides pour les oiseaux des champs. Ainsi, le but de cette thèse était d’appréhender les effet sublétaux des pesticides sur les traits d’histoire de vie de la perdrix grise (Perdix perdix) à la fois à l’aide d’expérimentations en conditions contrôlées mais aussi de suivi d’individus sauvages. Associée à la survie et à la reproduction, l’approche multi-trait réalisée ici a permis d’appréhender (1) les effets négatifs des pesticides sur plusieurs traits d’histoire de vie des perdrix, à la fois en captivité mais aussi in natura, (2) l’omniprésence de cocktails de pesticides dans le sang des oiseaux et leurs liens avec les effets sublétaux, (3) l’importance de prendre en compte les processus évolutifs dans les effets à long terme des pesticides en considérant les effets parentaux et la plasticité phénotypique des individus et enfin (4) la nécessité d’utiliser le biomonitoring des espèces sentinelles pour un meilleur suivi de la contamination des agroécosystèmes à l’échelle locale mais aussi comme outil de développement et de mise en place de zones refuges à l’exposition aux pesticides
For several decades, the farmland bird decline has been the subject of much scientific attention, with a large body of literature on the causes and consequences of this phenomenon. One of the major issue is whether pesticides are responsible for this trend, as studies conducted so far indicate cause and effect relationships without clearly identifying the underlying mechanisms. A major challenge is thus to provide biologically relevant evidences for a better assessment of pesticide-related risks to farmland birds. The aim of this thesis was to study the sublethal effects of pesticides on the life history traits of the grey partridge (Perdix perdix) using both experiments under controlled conditions and monitoring of free-living birds. In combination with survival and reproduction, the multi-trait approach carried out here allowed us to understand (1) the deleterious effects of pesticides on several life history traits of partridges, both in captivity and in natura, (2) the ubiquity of pesticide cocktails in the blood of birds and their links with sublethal effects, (3) the importance of considering evolutionary processes in the long-term effects of pesticides by considering parental effects and phenotypic plasticity of individuals and finally (4) the need to use biomonitoring of sentinel species for a better monitoring of the contamination of agroecosystems at the local scale but also as a tool for the development and implementation of refuge areas to pesticide exposure

Le glyphosate, l’atrazine, et leurs principaux produits de dégradation (la déséthyl-atrazine ou DEA, et l’amino methyl phosphoric acid ou AMPA) sont parmi les pesticides les plus utilisés dans le monde et en France. Ils sont retrouvés en grande quantité dans plusieurs matrices environnementales dans les denrées alimentaires et les eaux de boisson.L’objectif de notre travail a été d’évaluer le potentiel génotoxique et mutagène in vitro et in vivo de ces quatre pesticides seuls et en mélanges, puis d’étudier les effets protecteurs d’un mélange d’extrait de plantes anti-mutagènes (Berberis vulgaris, Arctium lappa et Taraxacum officinalis) (DIG) sur la génotoxicité du mélange des quatre pesticides.Les résultats de notre étude in vitro ont montré que le potentiel génotoxique des pesticides dépend de leur environnement physico-chimique, et que les mélanges de pesticides peuvent révéler des propriétés génotoxiques bien plus importantes que celles prévisibles lors de l’exposition aux molécules individuelles avec survenue d’un effet cocktail. Les résultats de notre étude in vivo ont établi la puissante activité génotoxique et mutagène du mélange composé de quatre pesticides. Ils ont mis en évidence les effets cocktails qui peuvent se produire dans les mélanges de pesticides soulignant les limites des stratégies toxicologiques habituelles. Nous avons montré que les cellules cérébrales sont la principale cible des pesticides, probablement en rapport avec une importante sensibilité au stress oxydatif. Dans une troisième partie, nous avons démontré les effets protecteurs de DIG sur la génotoxicité/mutagénicité du mélange des quatre pesticides
Glyphosate, atrazine, and their main degradation products (desethyl-atrazine or DEA, and the amino methyl phosphoric acid or AMPA) are among the most widely used pesticides in the world and in France. They are found in large quantities in several environmental matrices but also in food and drinking water.The aim of our work was to evaluate the genotoxicity and mutagenicity in vitro and in vivo of these four pesticides, alone and in mixtures, and to study the protective effects of a mixture composed with extracts of anti-mutagenic plants (Berberis vulgaris, Arctium lappa and Taraxacum officinalis) (DIG) on the genotoxicity of the mixture of four pesticides.The results of our in vitro study showed that the genotoxic potential of pesticides depends on their physico-chemical environment, and that mixtures of pesticides can reveal genotoxic properties more important than those predictable during the exposure to individual molecules, with occurrence of a cocktail effect. The results of our in vivo study clearly established the powerful genotoxic and mutagenic activity of the mixture of four pesticides. They highlighted the cocktail effects that may occur in mixtures of pesticides, underlining the limits of conventional toxicological strategies based on an individual assessment of the molecules. We have shown that brain cells are the main target of pesticides, probably related to a significant sensitivity to oxidative stress. In the third part, we demonstrated the protective effects of DIG on the genotoxicity and mutagenicity of the mixture of four pesticides

This essay will explain some of the key concepts of my theoretical interests of my artistic practice. “The cocktail effect” is a work where I use corpus and a table setting as basis for my investigation into the ambivalence I experience in the food culture of today. It is an investigation into all chemicals found in food, how they affect our bodies, and into the relation between the two and the field of corpus and craft.   The work consists of a table, a chair and a setting on the table. The table setting is the central point of my work, together with the different objects and corpus pieces that constitute it. The objects and their materials are a part of the investigation and my media to bring forth the questions and concerns I have about today´s food culture. In the essay I explain the different material choices, what they for me symbolize and what kind of culture the material already has. I also explain the concept of using a table setting to tell my story and how my work relates to the field of corpus and the time we live in.   I have looked at ongoing discussions concerning foods, trends happening within the field, studies that describe the effect that chemicals have on our bodies and also documentations that describes the processing of food. I have transformed this information and material into a table setting, which talks about the ignorance and the ambivalence that exists in our food culture and highlights facts that are kept hidden from us. In my work and in my essay I describe and investigate how I can use the field of corpus to tell the story of our everyday food culture.

Ce travail de thèse a pour objectif d'étudier le comportement de produits pharmaceutiques dans l’environnement aux interfaces sédiment/sol-eau afin de mieux comprendre les processus mis en jeu suite à leur rejet, leur devenir et leur impact. Ainsi la rétention de quatre produits pharmaceutiques a été étudiée sur différents solides (sol/sédiment). La capacité d’échange cationique a été identifiée comme le paramètre prépondérant gouvernant la rétention du propranolol, le pH gouvernant celle du sotalol. Dans le cas des mélanges de contaminants, une compétition pour les sites de surface a pu être mise en évidence avec notamment une diminution de l’adsorption du sotalol et du furosémide. L’influence du cuivre, métal ubiquiste dans l’environnement, sur la rétention des produits pharmaceutiques a également été étudiée. Si celui-ci n’a pas eu d’influence sur la rétention du propranolol, du sotalol et du furosémide, il a par contre augmenté la mobilité du sulfaméthoxazole dans l’environnement en diminuant son adsorption. Enfin, il a été montré que la présence de ces polluants dans l’environnement induit des effets toxiques sur des organismes aquatiques
This thesis aims at studying the behaviour of pharmaceuticals in the environment at sediment/soil-water interfaces in order to better understand the involved processes following their release, their fate and their impact. Thus, the retention of four pharmaceuticals was investigated on different solids (soil/sediment). The cation exchange capacity has been identified as the parameter governing the propranolol retention and the pH value governing sotalol adsorption. In the case of contaminant mixtures, a competition for the surface sites was evidenced with in particular a decrease of sotalol and furosemide adsorption.The influence of copper, a ubiquitous metal in the environment, on pharmaceutical retention was also studied. Although copper did not influence the retention of propranolol, sotalol and furosemide, its presence increased the mobility of sulfamethoxazole in the environment by decreasing its adsorption. Finally, it has been shown that the presence of these pollutants in the environment induced toxic effects on aquatic organisms

This thesis deals with multi-channel methods of speech enhancement. Multichannel methods of speech enhancement use a few microphones for recording signals. From mixtures of signals, for example, individual speakers can be separated, noise should be reduced etc. with using neural networks. The task of separating speakers is known as a cocktail-party effect. The main method of solving this problem is called independent component analysis. At first there are described its theoretical foundation and presented conditions and requirements for its application. Methods of ICA try to separate the mixtures with help of searching the minimal gaussian properties of signals. For the analysis of independent components are used different mathematical properties of signals such as kurtosis and entropy. Signals, which were mixed artificially on a computer, can be relatively well separated using, for example, FastICA algorithm or ICA gradient ascent. However, difficult is situation, if we want to separate the signals created in the real recording enviroment, because the separation of speech people speaking at the same time in the real environment affects other various factors such as acoustic properties of the room, noise, delays, reflections from the walls, the position or the type of microphones, etc. Work presents aproach of independent component analysis in the frequency domain, which can successfully separate also recordings made in the real environment.

Les changements climatiques et l'émission de polluants dans l'environnement sont susceptibles d'entrainer des effets croisés sur les communautés et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes. Les changements de température sont notamment susceptibles de modifier le comportement et la toxicité des polluants, et de sensibiliser les organismes aux stress chimiques. Inversement, l'exposition à des polluants peut diminuer la tolérance thermique des espèces ectothermes comme les poissons. Dans ce contexte, nous avons étudié la réponse d'une espèce modèle de poissons en toxicologie aquatique, le Carassin doré (Carassius auratus), soumis à des stress chimique et thermique individuels et combinés. Pour cela, le carassin doré a été exposé à un cocktail d'herbicides et de fongicides à des concentrations réalistes d'un point de vue environnemental à deux températures pendant 96h ou 16 jours. Les réponses ont été observées de l'échelle moléculaire à l'échelle individuelle par des approches omiques (protéomique et métabolomique), biochimiques (cortisol, biomarqueurs de stress oxydant et allocation cellulaire énergétique), indicielles (indices somatiques et de condition) et comportementales (remaniement sédimentaire, activité, exploration et comportement alimentaire). Les résultats montrent que l'exposition des poissons aux stress chimique et thermique individuels entraine une réponse générale de stress impliquant des compensations biochimiques, énergétiques, physiologiques et comportementales. L'absence d'effets sur la santé générale des carassins suggère la mise en place d'une réponse de stress efficace et adaptée, bien que l'hypoactivité observée chez les poissons exposés aux cocktails de pesticides soit susceptible d'entrainer une diminution de leurs performances et de leur fitness. A l'inverse, les carassins exposés aux stress chimique et thermique combinés montrent une inhibition de la réponse générale de stress, avec des effets antagonistes sur la sécrétion de cortisol, l'induction de certains systèmes de défense antioxydants et la compensation énergétique. Des effets plus importants sont en revanche observés au niveau comportemental ainsi qu'une diminution significative de la condition générale des poissons. Ces résultats montrent que l'augmentation de la température sensibilise les poissons à la contamination de l'eau par les pesticides. L'inhibition de la réponse de stress chez des poissons exposés à des mélanges complexes de pesticides dans un écosystème soumis à de multiples contraintes pose de nombreuses questions pour la conservation des espèces dans l'environnement
Crossed-effects between climate change and chemical pollutions were identified on community structure and ecosystem functioning. Temperature rising affect the toxic properties of pollutants and the sensitiveness of organisms to chemicals stress. Inversely, chemical exposure may decrease the thermal tolerance of ectothermic species, as fish. In this context, we studied the response of a biological model in aquatic toxicology, the goldfish (Carassius auratus), to individual and combined chemical and thermal stresses. In this aim, we exposed the goldfish to environmental relevant concentrations of herbicide and fungicide mixtures at two temperatures for 96 hours or 16 days. The fish responses were assessed from the molecular level to individual endpoints, including omic approaches (proteomic and metabolomic), biochemical analyses (cortisol, antioxidant defenses, cellular energy allocation), indexes (somatic and condition factors) and behavioral assays (sediment reworking, activity, exploration and feeding). Our results showed that individual chemical or thermal stresses induced a general stress response including biochemical, metabolic, physiological and behavioral compensations. The absence of deleterious effect on the global condition of fish suggested the implementation of an efficient and adaptive stress response, while the hypoactivity of fish exposed to pesticide mixtures could entrain a decreased performance and fitness into the wild. At the opposite, the combined chemical and thermal stresses induced reciprocal inactivation of the stress response, with antagonism effect on cortisol secretion, antioxidant defense induction and metabolic compensation. However, increased effect on behavioral traits and decreased global condition of fish were observed. Our study showed that temperature rising sensitized fish to pesticide exposure. Finally, inhibited stress response in fish exposed to pesticide cocktails raises concerns about species conservation an ecosystem under multiple pressures

It has been previously established that when engaged in a difficult attention intensive task, which involves repeating information while blocking out other information (the dichotic listening task), participants are often able to report hearing their own names in an unattended audio channel (Moray, 1959). This phenomenon, called the cocktail party effect is a result of words that are important to oneself having a lower threshold, resulting in less attention being necessary to process them (Treisman, 1960). The current studies examined the ability of a person who was engaged in an attention demanding task to hear and recall low-threshold words from a fictional story. These low-threshold words included a traditional alert word, “fire” and fictional character names from a popular franchise—Harry Potter. Further, the role of stimulus degradation was examined by including synthetic and accented speech in the task to determine how it would impact attention and performance. In Study 1 participants repeated passages from a novel that was largely unfamiliar to them, The Secret Garden while blocking out a passage from a much more familiar source, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Each unattended Harry Potter passage was edited so that it would include 4 names from the series, and the word “fire” twice. The type of speech present in the attended and unattended ears (Natural or Synthetic) was varied to examine the impact that processing a degraded speech would have on performance. The speech that the participant shadowed did not impact unattended recall, however it did impact shadowing accuracy. The speech type that was present in the unattended ear did impact the ability to recall low-threshold, Harry Potter information. When the unattended speech type was synthetic, significantly less Harry Potter information was recalled. Interestingly, while Harry Potter information was recalled by participants with both high and low Harry Potter experience, the traditional low-threshold word, “fire” was not noticed by participants. In order to determine if synthetic speech impeded the ability to report low-threshold Harry Potter names due to being degraded or simply being different than natural speech, Study 2 was designed. In Study 2 the attended (shadowed) speech was held constant as American Natural speech, and the unattended ear was manipulated. An accent which was different than the native accent of the participants was included as a mild form of degradation. There were four experimental stimuli which contained one of the following in the unattended ear: American Natural, British Natural, American Synthetic and British Synthetic. Overall, more unattended information was reported when the unattended channel was Natural than Synthetic. This implies that synthetic speech does take more working memory processing power than even an accented natural speech. Further, it was found that experience with the Harry Potter franchise played a role in the ability to report unattended Harry Potter information. Those who had high levels of Harry Potter experience, particularly with audiobooks, were able to process and report Harry Potter information from the unattended stimulus when it was British Natural. While, those with low Harry Potter experience were not able to report unattended Harry Potter information from this slightly degraded stimulus. Therefore, it is believed that the previous audiobook experience of those in the high Harry Potter experience group acted as training and resulted in less working memory being necessary to encode the unattended Harry Potter information. A pilot study was designed in order to examine the impact of story familiarity in the attended and unattended channels of a dichotic listening task. In the pilot study, participants shadowed a Harry Potter passage (familiar) in one condition with a passage from The Secret Garden (unfamiliar) playing in the unattended ear. A second condition had participants shadowing The Secret Garden (unfamiliar) with a passage from Harry Potter (familiar) present in the unattended ear. There was no significant difference in the number of unattended names recalled. Those with low Harry Potter experience reported significantly less attended information when they shadowed Harry Potter than when they shadowed The Secret Garden. Further, there appeared to be a trend such that those with high Harry Potter experience were reporting more attended information when they shadowed Harry Potter than The Secret Garden. This implies that experience with a franchise and characters may make it easier to recall information about a passage, while lack of experience provides no assistance. Overall, the results of the studies indicate that we do treat fictional characters in a way similarly to ourselves. Names and information about fictional characters were able to break through into attention during a task that required a great deal of attention. The experience one had with the characters also served to assist the working memory in processing the information in degraded circumstances. These results have important implications for training, design of alerts, and the use of popular media in the classroom.
ID: 031001451; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Adviser: Valerie K. Sims.; Title from PDF title page (viewed July 2, 2013).; Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2012.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 168-173).
Ph.D.
Doctorate
Psychology
Sciences
Psychology; Human Factors Psychology

碩士
世新大學
觀光學研究所(含碩專班)
94
The common cocktail lists should have the liquor name, the capacity, the price, the picture, and even some literal descriptions. The wine lists of the most local bars show all the information required such as without the capacity, without the price, and even with the name only but nothing else. The missing parts of the most wine lists cannot provide the customers with clear information and further affect their consumption intention. Few researches had been conducted concerning whether the contents of the cocktail lists or naming ways will affect the consumer behavior and the market mechanism. Therefore, this research tries to investigate the effects of cocktail list design on affinity and purchase intention to the consumer. This research adopts a 2×2×2 synthesized “between subject experimental design” and “within subject experimental design” approach with the implicatures of wine names to consumers (clear/vague), cocktail naming ways (flavor/color, positive/negative emotion), and the display of wine lists (with/without picture) as independent variables, while whether the consumers change their purchase intentions under the scenarios encountered as dependant variables. The results showed that cocktails clear ones show higher purchase intention than those of vague ones regardless of naming by flavors or colors. Moreover, cocktails with clear and positive emotion names have the highest degree of preference and purchase intention. However, those wine lists with or without pictures do not necessarily affect consumers’ affinity and purchase intention.It is proposed that enclosing pictures on the cocktail lists naming by flavors or colors will enhance visual attraction and without enclosing pictures on the cocktail lists naming by emotions will help leave consumers some room for imagination.

碩士
世新大學
觀光學研究所(含碩專班)
94
In F&B Industry, marketing with the menu to customers is necessary and inexpensive. Moreover, it is also the good tool for enterprises to create more profits. The purpose of this research is to discuss the effect of products’ assortment on consumers’ perception, buying intention, even the changes of consumers’ purchase behavior. Therefore, taking cocktail products as an example in this study, design the assortment for the cocktail menu and experiment the effect on consumer’s perception and buying intention. The research method adopts a “between-subject factorial design” among the persons who are examined, ranges studied are general consumers. Independent variable is assortment; divides the situation classification into five kinds of cocktail menu to design, such as None Assortment, Manufacture Method and Flavor Method from rational assortment, Color Method and Emotion Method from emotional assortment. Dependent variables are perception and buying intention, measure the curiosity / attractiveness and buying intention separately by the Likert 7-point scale. Materials are the names of cocktails. The subject of different assortments cause consumer’s various perceptions and buying intention are tested. The result shows assorted cocktail menu on the perception and buying intention is significant higher than none-assorted cocktail menu. For flavor assortment, consumers choose centrally the classifications of Sweet, Cold, and Sour flavor. For emotion assortment, the choices are dispersed all in Fantasy, Gladness, Loving and Missing, four classifications. According to this research, positive classifications on cocktail menu have more positive responses from consumers.

This work intended to begin an investigation course which aims to deepen the mechanisms that determine the sugar release from lignocellulosic materials, using adequate enzymatic complexes. In this study, it was used an enzymatic complex, kindly provided by Novozymes, which includes a diverse set of enzymes, designed for the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials. Provided with this tool, the work began by evaluating the response of two model cellulosic fibrous materials: a chemical bleached pulp (with lignin-free fibers and high specific area) and a mechanical pulp (lignin-rich and also with high specific area). These choices provide high and comparable specific areas, allowing the isolation of the effect of material’s composition. While the chemical bleached pulp is mate exclusively by polysaccharides, the mechanical pulp contains all the lignin from its original wood, apart from the polysaccharides, preserving the wood’s original ultra-structure. In order to distinguish extreme cases, the pulps were also subjected to a beating process in a PFI mill, which additionally increased the material’s specific area, and were afterwards subjected to an enzymatic cocktail. The obtained results revealed completely different answers from both pulps, beaten and unbeaten. The lignin-free pulp has released practically all its carbohydrates, while the mechanical pulp released only about 20% of its potential. The pulp beating had a limited effect on the mechanical pulp and increased the sugar release rate and slightly increased its extension in the chemical bleached pulp. In conclusion, the behavior differences are not due to specific area, but to the chemical composition and/or to the differences in the ultra-structure of both fibrous materials studied. The performed studies point to a combined effect of both factors, which are difficult to isolate due to the fact that the lignin extraction process also induces modifications on the organizational structure of the polymers. The second stage of this work involved non-previously processed prime-matters, namely, pine and eucalyptus wood chips and also broom wood. In these cases, it is essential to submit the material to a pretreatment prior to subject it to enzymatic hydrolysis, aiming its sugars release. In this study, we chose to explore the sodium bisulfite potential, at different pH levels, taking into account the few published studies with this treatment, and the team’s experience on wood coking processes. Based on the literature, the operating conditions of the sulfite stage were chosen, maintaining the enzymatic hydrolysis conditions. After the pretreatment, the material was subjected to a controlled disintegration treatment. The sugars and their byproducts from the pretreatment hydrolysate were analyzed by HPLC and the solid residue was afterwards subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis. The increase on acid charge (H2SO4), for a fixed sulfite level, translated in the increase of sugar release, particularly xylose, and in an increase of byproducts, potentially inhibitors of subsequent bioethanol production stages, and in a darker solid residue with more condensed lignin and higher tendency to fragment in the disintegration step. An attempt of global mass balance was undertaken with consistent results, although they might require adjustments from further investigations. Generally, all the solid residues exhibited a very positive answer on the enzymatic hydrolysis, achieving polysaccharide conversions in the range of 65 to 98%. The sugar release rate proved to be fast in the beginning, gradually decreasing with contact time, until it is annulled. In some cases, a decrease in sugar concentration in the reaction medium takes place, in around 72 hours of enzymatic hydrolysis. Since this decrease is not expectable, it can be related with the existence of microorganisms detected when hydrolyzed samples were observed in an optic microscope. The microscopic observation of samples subjected to different times of enzymatic hydrolysis revealed the enzymes’ ability of fragmenting the fibers; at the end of two days, the fibers were mostly converted to fine elements.
Com o presente trabalho pretendeu-se iniciar uma linha de investigação que visa aprofundar os mecanismos determinantes da libertação de açúcares de materiais lenhocelulósicos utilizando complexos enzimáticos adequados. No presente estudo utilizou-se um complexo enzimático amavelmente cedido pela Novozymes, que inclui um conjunto diverso de enzimas desenhadas para a hidrólise de materiais lenhocelulósicos. Munidos desta ferramenta, começou por avaliar-se a resposta de dois materiais fibrosos celulósicos modelo: uma pasta química branqueada (fibras livres de lenhina e com elevada área específica) e uma pasta mecânica (rica em lenhina e também com elevada área específica). Estas escolhas proporcionam áreas específicas elevadas e comparáveis, permitindo isolar o efeito da composição do material. Enquanto que a pasta química branqueada é constituída exclusivamente por polissacarídeos, a pasta mecânica contém toda a lenhina da madeira que lhe deu origem, para além dos polissacarídeos, preservando a ultra-estrutura original da madeira. Para extremar condições, as pastas foram ainda submetidas ao processo de refinação em moinho PFI, que aumentou ainda mais a área específica do material posteriormente submetido à acção do cocktail enzimático. Os resultados obtidos revelaram respostas completamente diferentes das duas pastas, refinadas ou não, com a pasta isenta de lenhina a libertar praticamente todos os seus hidratos de carbono, enquanto que a pasta mecânica libertou apenas cerca de 20% do seu potencial. A refinação teve um efeito limitado na pasta mecânica, e aumentou a velocidade de libertação dos açúcares e, marginalmente, a sua extensão na pasta química branqueada. Em conclusão, as diferenças de comportamento não se ficam a dever à área específica, mas sim à composição química e/ou às diferenças na ultra-estrutura dos dois materiais fibrosos objecto de estudo. Os estudos realizados apontam para um efeito conjunto dos dois factores, difíceis de separar em virtude de o processo de extracção da lenhina também induzir modificações ao nível da estrutura organizacional dos polímeros. Numa segunda fase do trabalho passou a trabalhar-se com matérias-primas não previamente processadas, isto é, partiu-se de aparas de madeira de pinho e eucalipto e ainda de giesta. Nestes caso, é essencial submeter o material a um pré-tratamento antes de o submeter à hidrólise enzimática com vista à libertação dos açúcares. No presente estudo, optou-se por explorar o potencial do sulfito de sódio, a diferentes níveis de pH, tendo em conta os poucos trabalhos publicados com este tratamento e a experiência da equipa nos processos de cozimento de madeira. Com base na literatura, escolheram-se as condições de operação no estágio do sulfito, tendo-se mantido constantes as condições da hidrólise enzimática. Após o pré-tratamento, o material foi sujeito a um tratamento de desintegração controlado. No hidrolisado determinaram-se, por HPLC, os açúcares e os seus produtos de degradação, e recolheu-se o resíduo sólido, que posteriormente foi submetido à hidrólise enzimática. O aumento da carga de ácido (H2SO4), para um dado nível de sulfito, traduz-se no aumento da libertação de açúcares, particularmente xilose, e num acréscimo dos produtos de degradação inibidores de algumas etapas seguintes no processo de produção de etanol, bem como na produção de um resíduo sólido com lenhina mais condensada (mais escuro), e uma maior tendência para a fragmentação na etapa de desintegração. Levou-se a cabo uma tentativa de balanço global de massa, tendo-se obtido resultados consistentes, mas que requerem afinação em trabalhos futuros. De uma maneira geral, todos os resíduos sólidos exibiram uma resposta muito positiva na hidrólise enzimática, tendo-se atingido conversões dos polissacarídeos na gama de 65 a 98%. A velocidade de libertação dos açúcares é rápida no início, decrescendo gradualmente com a passagem do tempo de contacto, até se anular. Em alguns casos assistese a uma diminuição da concentração de açúcares no meio reaccional para tempos de hidrólise da ordem das 72 horas. Esta diminuição não expectável pode estar relacionada com a existência de microrganismos detectados na observação microscópica das amostras hidrolisadas. A observação microscópica das amostras sujeitas a diferentes tempos de hidrólise enzimática revelou ainda a capacidade das enzimas para fragmentar as fibras; ao cabo de 2 dias as fibras estão maioritariamente convertidas em elementos finos.