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M Balthazar

Publications and source records attributed to M Balthazar.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

On the neuro-muscular control of trochlean joints.

This paper presents a simplified dynamical model for the control of one-degree-of-freedom synovial joints considered as pure trochlean joints. This model considers the joint dynamics, the dynamics of the corresponding muscles and their calcium balance dynamics, as well as position and force feedbacks provided by the spindles and the Golgi tendon organs. Delays in the transmission of information are also taken into account as they proved to be of critical importance for the dynamical behavior of the considered systems. The linearized version of this model, which is valid for a rather wide range of movements, also allows us to investigate the stability of the system, as well as its stability robustness with respect to the feedback gains. Further, particular behaviors such as tremor are described.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMed1989

Developmental and individual differences in performance on phonological synthesis tasks.

This study was conducted in order to examine the role of individual differences in working memory and lexical access in accounting for age and reading skill related differences in performance on phonological synthesis tasks. The performance of 28 kindergarten, first-, and second-grade children with normal reading skills, as well as that of 28 reading-disabled second graders, was compared under four testing conditions. The testing conditions were formed by completely crossing rate of presentation of phoneme strings with type of stimulus to be blended (real or nonword). Both independent variables affected performance on the blending tasks, with better performance obtained at faster presentation rates and with real words. There was a developmental discontinuity in overall performance, with the kindergarten children obtaining substantially lower scores than the first or second graders. In the comparison of second-grade good and poor readers, there was a significant interaction between groups, presentation rates, and type of stimulus. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for a general model of performance on the sound blending task, as well as their value for interpreting individual differences on the task.

Awareness↗