Voters dislike disproportionality in electoral systems - even when it benefits the party they support

Taking advantage of a uniquely designed survey experiment, Carolina Plescia, André Blais, and John Högström investigate the effect of proportionality on voter support for voting rules in four countries, namely Austria, the UK, Ireland and Sweden. They find that voters for both small and large parties dislike disproportionality in electoral systems, with little cross-country variation

Comparaison entre la simulation d’alignement du ClinCheck® et les modèles numériques finaux des patients traités par la technique Invisalign® avec ou sans l’appareil AcceleDent®

INTRODUCTION: Alors qu’il existe aujourd'hui différents genres de traitements orthodontiques esthétiquement acceptables, les patients s'inquiètent maintenant de la durée des traitements. L'appareil AcceleDent® a été introduit sur le marché par OrthoAccel Technologies en 2009. Ce dispositif, placé entre les dents pendant 20 minutes par jour, vibre à une fréquence de 30 Hz et est préconisé pour accélérer le traitement. L’objectif primaire est d’évaluer la précision de la simulation ClinCheck® par rapport aux résultats finaux réels pour les deux groupes. L’objectif secondaire est de déterminer si le résultat final est influencé par une progression plus rapide des gouttières d’alignement. MATÉRIELS & MÉTHODES: Une étude rétrospective qui comprend 38 patients traités avec la technique Invisalign®. Le groupe expérimental, c’est-à-dire celui qui utilise l’AcceleDent®, comprend 13 patients tandis que le groupe contrôle inclut 25 patients. La sévérité de la malocclusion a été quantifiée avec le «Discrepancy Index de l’ABO». Concernant la prédiction des résultats de la simulation ClinCheck® et le résultat du traitement final, l’«Objective Grading System de l’ABO » a été utilisé pour quantifier ces derniers. Toutes les données ont été prises à partir du logiciel OrthoCAD (Cadent, Fairview, NJ). RÉSULTATS ET DISCUSSION: Il n'y a pas de différence statistiquement significative entre la malocclusion des 2 groupes. (p=0,761). Pour les résultats finaux, il existe une différence statistiquement significative. L'alignement est meilleur dans le groupe contrôle (p=0,002). Au sein de chaque groupe, la différence entre les résultats prédits et réels n’est pas statistiquement significative (p=0,056). L’utilisation de l’AcceleDent® semble donner un surplomb horizontal plus proche de celui prédit, cependant ceci n’est pas cliniquement significatif. CONCLUSION: L’utilisation de l’appareil AcceleDent® combiné à une progression plus rapide des coquilles aux sept jours influence négativement l’alignement final chez les patients traités par la technique Invisalign®.INTRODUCTION: While there are presently many different options for aesthetic orthodontic treatment, patients are now concerned with the length of treatment. The AcceleDent® device was introduced by OrthoAccel Technologies in 2009. This device is placed between the teeth for 20 minutes a day, vibrates at a frequency of 30 Hz and is recommended to accelerate orthodontic treatment. This study’s primary objective is to evaluate the accuracy of the ClinCheck® simulation versus the actual final results. The secondary objective is to determine if the end result is influenced by the increased rate of treatment progression with the aligners. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study design was used with 38 patients treated with Invisalign®. The experimental group consisted of 13 patients, while the control group included 25 patients. The severity of malocclusion was quantified with the Discrepancy Index approved by the American Board of Orthodontics. In addition, the ABO’s Objective Grading System was used to compare the prediction of the final result provided by the ClinCheck® simulation and the actual final treatment result. All data were taken from the OrthoCAD software (Cadent, Fairview, NJ). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: There is no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding their initial malocclusion (p= 0.761). For the final results, there is a statistically significant difference. The alignment is better in the control group (p = 0.002). Within each group, the difference between the predicted and the actual results are not statistically significant (p = 0.056). The use of AcceleDent® seems to give an overjet similar to that which was predicted; however, this finding is not clinically significant. CONCLUSION: The use of the AcceleDent® combined with changing aligners every seven days negatively influence the final alignment in patients treated with Invisalign®

L’utilisation de l’information visuelle en reconnaissance d’expressions faciales d’émotion

L’aptitude à reconnaitre les expressions faciales des autres est cruciale au succès des interactions sociales. L’information visuelle nécessaire à la catégorisation des expressions faciales d’émotions de base présentées de manière statique est relativement bien connue. Toutefois, l’information utilisée pour discriminer toutes les expressions faciales de base entre elle demeure encore peu connue, et ce autant pour les expressions statiques que dynamiques. Plusieurs chercheurs assument que la région des yeux est particulièrement importante pour arriver à « lire » les émotions des autres. Le premier article de cette thèse vise à caractériser l’information utilisée par le système visuel pour discriminer toutes les expressions faciales de base entre elles, et à vérifier l’hypothèse selon laquelle la région des yeux est cruciale pour cette tâche. La méthode des Bulles (Gosselin & Schyns, 2001) est utilisée avec des expressions faciales statiques (Exp. 1) et dynamiques (Exp. 2) afin de trouver quelles régions faciales sont utilisées (Exps. 1 et 2), ainsi que l’ordre temporel dans lequel elles sont utilisées (Exp. 2). Les résultats indiquent que, contrairement à la croyance susmentionnée, la région de la bouche est significativement plus utile que la région des yeux pour discriminer les expressions faciales de base. Malgré ce rôle prépondérant de la bouche, c’est toute de même la région des yeux qui est sous-utilisée chez plusieurs populations cliniques souffrant de difficultés à reconnaitre les expressions faciales. Cette observation pourrait suggérer que l’utilisation de la région des yeux varie en fonction de l’habileté pour cette tâche. Le deuxième article de cette thèse vise donc à vérifier comment les différences individuelles en reconnaissance d’expressions faciales sont reliées aux stratégies d’extraction de l’information visuelle pour cette tâche. Les résultats révèlent une corrélation positive entre l’utilisation de la région de la bouche et l’habileté, suggérant la présence de différences qualitatives entre la stratégie des patients et celle des normaux. De plus, une corrélation positive est retrouvée entre l’utilisation de l’œil gauche et l’habileté des participants, mais aucune corrélation n’est retrouvée entre l’utilisation de l’œil droit et l’habileté. Ces résultats indiquent que la stratégie des meilleurs participants ne se distingue pas de celle des moins bons participants simplement par une meilleure utilisation de l’information disponible dans le stimulus : des différences qualitatives semblent exister même au sein des stratégies des participants normaux.The ability to recognize facial expressions is crucial for the success of social communication. The information used by the visual system to categorize static basic facial expressions is now relatively well known. However, the visual information used to discriminate the basic facial expressions from one another is still unknown, and this is true for both static and dynamic facial expressions. Many believe that the eye region of a facial expression is particularly important when it comes to reading others' emotions. The aim of the first article of this thesis is to determine which information is used by the visual system in order to discriminate between the basic facial expressions and to verify the validity of the hypothesis that the eye region is crucial for this task. The Bubbles method (Gosselin & Schyns, 2001) is used with static (Exp. 1) and dynamic (Exp. 2) facial expressions in order to determine which facial areas are used for the task (Exp. 1) and in which temporal order these facial areas are used (Exp. 2). The results show that, in contrast with the aforementioned belief, the mouth region is significantly more useful than the eye region when discriminating between the basic facial expressions. Despite this preponderant role of the mouth, it is the eye area⎯not the mouth area⎯that is underutilized by many clinical populations suffering from difficulties in recognizing facial expressions. This observation could suggest that the utilization of the eye area varies as a function of the ability to recognize facial expressions. The aim of the second article in this thesis is thus to verify how individual differences in the ability to recognize facial expressions relate to the visual information extraction strategies used for this task. The results show a positive correlation between the ability of the participants and the utilization of the mouth region, suggesting the existence of qualitative differences between the strategy of clinical patients and of normal participants. A positive correlation is also found between the ability of the participants and the utilization of the left eye area, but no correlation is found between the ability and the utilization of the right eye area. These results suggest that the difference between the strategies of the best and the worst participants is not only that the best ones use the information available in the stimulus more efficiently: rather, qualitative differences in the visual information extraction strategies may exist even within the normal population

L'utilisation spatio-temporelle de l'information visuelle en reconnaissance de mots / par Caroline Blais

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal

Characterization of bioaerosols from dairy barns : reconstructing the puzzle of occupational respiratory diseases by using molecular approaches

To understand the etiology of exposure-related diseases and to establish standards for reducing the risks associated with working in contaminated environments, the exact nature of the bioaerosol components must be defined. Molecular biology tools were used to evaluate airborne bacterial and, for the first time, archaeal content of dairy barns. Three air samplers were tested in each of the 13 barns sampled. Up to 106 archaeal and 108 bacterial 16S rRNA genes per m3 of air were detected. Archaeal methanogens, mainly Methanobrevibacter species, were represented. Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula, the causative agent of farmer’s lung, was quantified to up to 107 16S rRNA genes per m3 of air. In addition, a wide variety of bacterial agents were present in our air samples within the high airborne bioaerosol concentration range. Despite recommendations regarding hay preservation and baling conditions, farmers still develop an S. rectivirgula-specific humoral immune response, suggesting intense and continuous exposure. Our results demonstrate the complexity of bioaerosol components in dairy barns which could play a role in occupational respiratory diseas

Organic components of airborne dust influence the magnitude and kinetics of dendritic cell activation

Bioaerosol exposure in highly contaminated occupational settings is associated with an increased risk of disease. Yet, few determinants allow for accurate prediction of the immunopathogenic potential of complex bioaerosols. Since dendritic cells are instrumental to the initiation of immunopathological reactions, we studied how dendritic cell activation was modified in response to individual agents, combined microbial agents, or air sample eluates from highly contaminated environmental settings. We found that combinations of agents accelerated and enhanced the activation of in vitro-generated murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cell cultures, when compared to individual agents. We also determined that endotoxins are not sufficient to predict the potential of air samples to induce bone marrow-derived dendritic cell activation, especially when endotoxin levels are low. Importantly, bone marrow-derived dendritic cell activation stratified samples from three environmental settings (swine barns, dairy barns, and wastewater treatment plants) according to their air quality status. As a whole, these results support the notion that the interplay between bioaerosol components impacts on their ability to activate dendritic cells and that bone marrow-derived dendritic cell cultures are promising tools to study the immunomodulatory impact of air samples and their components

Microbial contents of vacuum cleaner bag dust and emitted bioaerosols and their implications for human exposure indoors

Vacuum cleaners can release large concentrations of particles, both in their exhaust air and from resuspension of settled dust. However, the size, variability, and microbial diversity of these emissions are unknown, despite evidence to suggest they may contribute to allergic responses and infection transmission indoors. This study aimed to evaluate bioaerosol emission from various vacuum cleaners. We sampled the air in an experimental flow tunnel where vacuum cleaners were run, and their airborne emissions were sampled with closed-face cassettes. Dust samples were also collected from the dust bag. Total bacteria, total archaea, Penicillium/Aspergillus, and total Clostridium cluster 1 were quantified with specific quantitative PCR protocols, and emission rates were calculated. Clostridium botulinum and antibiotic resistance genes were detected in each sample using endpoint PCR. Bacterial diversity was also analyzed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), image analysis, and band sequencing. We demonstrated that emission of bacteria and molds (Penicillium/Aspergillus) can reach values as high as 1E5 cell equivalents/min and that those emissions are not related to each other. The bag dust bacterial and mold content was also consistent across the vacuums we assessed, reaching up to 1E7 bacterial or mold cell equivalents/g. Antibiotic resistance genes were detected in several samples. No archaea or C. botulinum was detected in any air samples. Diversity analyses showed that most bacteria are from human sources, in keeping with other recent results. These results highlight the potential capability of vacuum cleaners to disseminate appreciable quantities of molds and human-associated bacteria indoors and their role as a source of exposure to bioaerosols

Parallel recovery of consciousness and sleep in acute traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the progressive recuperation of consciousness was associated with the reconsolidation of sleep and wake states in hospitalized patients with acute traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: This study comprised 30 hospitalized patients (age 29.1 ± 13.5 years) in the acute phase of moderate or severe TBI. Testing started 21.0 ± 13.7 days postinjury. Consciousness level and cognitive functioning were assessed daily with the Rancho Los Amigos scale of cognitive functioning (RLA). Sleep and wake cycle characteristics were estimated with continuous wrist actigraphy. Mixed model analyses were performed on 233 days with the RLA (fixed effect) and sleep-wake variables (random effects). Linear contrast analyses were performed in order to verify if consolidation of the sleep and wake states improved linearly with increasing RLA score. RESULTS: Associations were found between scores on the consciousness/cognitive functioning scale and measures of sleep-wake cycle consolidation (p < 0.001), nighttime sleep duration (p = 0.018), and nighttime fragmentation index (p < 0.001). These associations showed strong linear relationships (p < 0.01 for all), revealing that consciousness and cognition improved in parallel with sleep-wake quality. Consolidated 24-hour sleep-wake cycle occurred when patients were able to give context-appropriate, goal-directed responses. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that when the brain has not sufficiently recovered a certain level of consciousness, it is also unable to generate a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle and consolidated nighttime sleep. This study contributes to elucidating the pathophysiology of severe sleep-wake cycle alterations in the acute phase of moderate to severe TBI