Thesis (Honors)--College of William and Mary, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-48). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--Boston University.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Autism Spectrum Conditions (henceforth, autism) refers to a group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication, difficulties in adjusting to unexpected change, alongside unusually narrow interests and repetitive behaviour, and sensory hyper-sensitivity. Twin and family-based studies have consistently identified high heritabilities for autism and autistic traits, with recent studies converging at 60 – 90% heritability. Common genetic variants are thought to additively contribute to as much as 50% of the total risk for autism. In this thesis, I investigate the contribution of common genetics variants (including SNPs, and InDels) to autism and related traits. In Chapter 1, I discuss the recent advances in the field of autism genetics, focussing on the contribution of common genetic variants to the risk for autism. Chapters 2 – 7 report the results of various studies investigating the genetic correlates of autism and related traits. In Chapter 2, I surveyed the evidence for 552 candidate genes associated with autism, and conducted a meta-analysis for 58 common variants in 27 genes, investigated in at least 3 independent cohorts. Meta-analysis did not identify any SNPs that were replicably associated with autism in the Psychiatric Genetics Consortium genome-wide association study (PGC-GWAS) dataset after Bonferroni correction, suggesting that candidate gene association studies are not statistically well-powered. In Chapters 3 – 7, I conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 6 traits associated with autism: self-reported empathy (N = 46,861, Chapter 3), cognitive empathy (N = 89,553, Chapter 4), theory of mind in adolescents (N = 4,577, Chapter 5), friendship satisfaction (Neffective = 158,116) and family relationship satisfaction (Neffective = 164,112, both Chapter 6), and systemizing (N = 51,564, Chapter 7). GWAS identified significant loci for self-reported empathy, systemizing, friendship and family relationship satisfaction, and cognitive empathy. Genetic correlation analyses replicably identified a significant negative genetic correlation between autism and family relationship satisfaction and friendship satisfaction, and a significant positive genetic correlation between autism and systemizing. In addition, there was a negative genetic correlation between autism and self-reported empathy. Chapter 8 draws all of these studies together, concluding that there may be at least two independent sources of genetic risk for autism: one stemming from social traits and another from non-social traits. I discuss some future directions about how this can be leveraged using polygenic scores from multiple phenotypes to potentially stratify individuals within the autism spectrum, and both the strengths and limitations of the reported studies.

The thesis is a study of consumer participation, focussing on a case study of MIND. Data were collected from interviewing, participant observation and examination of records. The following are the main conclusions. In order to understand consumer participation, and effectively to increase it, it is necessary to be aware of: the different types of such involvement; the extent to which it includes opposition or collaboration with people in authority; the various types of participant; and the levels and degrees of participation. Levels vary from involvement in decisions about the individual's own care to Central Government policy-making; whilst degrees of participation range from information to the total running of an organisation. Also important is the extent to which consumer participation is openly declared, conscious, and formal or informal. This was found to vary considerably within MIND. MIND has its origins in a beneficent organisation, but from the nineteen seventies, increasing efforts were made to facilitate consumer participation. Almost all respondents were in favour of this, but there was considerable uncertainty about the most effective means to facilitate such involvement, and doubts about whether proposed policies for its implementation would be successful. Respondents often mentioned psychological gains and the value of individuals' skills and abilities as benefits of consumer participation. However, difficulty in taking on responsibility was frequently said to result in problems. The attitudes and aptitudes of members with experience as consumers or mental health professionals, and the personal influence of National/Regional MIND staff, were seen as crucial in facilitating or hindering consumer participation, as were organisational factors such as the structure of meetings, the complexity of functions, and the relationship between different levels of MIND, which resembled Rhodes' description of central–subcentral government relations. The influence of National/Regional MIND on Local Associations was limited because the latter were autonomous charities. The thesis also covers methodological and ethical problems, and the implications of the finding for implementing policies to increase consumer participation in voluntary organisations.

Attractiveness can provide an individual with advantages that less attractive people may not be granted. These advantages can be seen in everyday life through the perception that attractive individuals are more intelligent, friendly, and employees. Many researchers have found that attractiveness can have an influence on who gets the job and who does not. Past research on the influence of attractiveness on hiring practices has been conducted from an explicit attitude perspective. Explicit attitudes are evaluations that are thought out and conform to social norms, while implicit attitudes are unconscious evaluations before the influence of social norm. Implicit and explicit attitudes are considered two different constructs and accessed for different reasons. It was hypothesized that hiring agents would consider attractive applicants better suited when using an implicit attitude. Additionally there would be differences between male and female hiring agents. Results indicate that hiring agents associated attractive applicants with good job attributes when using an implicit attitude. However, there was no difference between male and female hiring agents, as both associated attractive applicants with good job attributes equally. The results also demonstrated that not all implicit and explicit attitudes diverge as previous research has indicated. The study also found a number of applicant attributes that contribute to the influence of whether to interview and hire attractive and unattractive applicants.

This study was conducted to examine the perceived development of the Wilderness Education Association's (WEA) 18-point curriculum by National Standards Program (NSP) course graduates. Nationally, there are no mandatory requirements to meet to become an outdoor leader or guide. Successful completion of the WEA NSP certifies the graduate as an Outdoor Leader through the WEA. Participants for this study were administered a survey requesting demographic information. The survey also consisted of a Lickert scale asking participants to what degree they perceived development of the WEA 18-point curriculum during the NSP course in which they participated. Results indicate that overall the curriculum was rated between "greatly developed" and "somewhat developed". The results also indicated that course structure might play a significant role in the development of the 18-point curriculum. While females ranked overall development the highest, there was not a statistical significant difference in the development of the WEA 18-point curriculum between males and females in this study.

This study examined perceptions toward Affirmative Action beneficiaries among non-racists, aversive racists, and blatant racists, and the effects of evaluating a mediocre Black employee on subsequent attitudes toward Affirmative Action. Using a novel procedure for categorizing participants into one of these three racism groups, which utilized both implicit and explicit measures of racism, undergraduate students (n = 127) rated the job performance of a White or Black attorney in a positive or mediocre performance condition and provided their attitudes toward Affirmative Action. Although differential evaluations of job performance were not affected by racism type, a significant three-way interaction (employee race X performance condition X racism type) for attitudes toward Affirmative Action was found. Aversive racists, compared to non-racists and blatant racists had lower attitudes toward Affirmative Action after evaluating the mediocre Black attorney and more positive attitudes after evaluating the strongly performing Black attorney. This finding supports Gaertner and Dovidio's (2000) proposition that aversive racists have fragile pro-Black attitudes that may easily erode when presented with stereotype-confirming exemplars.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-07-30Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:55:40Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 lima_ja_me_jabo.pdf: 145215 bytes, checksum: 050e95ab3fc21a0c75221f6fbc659e0b (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Avaliou-se no presente trabalho, a eficácia de dois antiparasitários: Moxidectina 1 % e a associação de (Albendazol + Levamizole + Ivermectina) no tratamento de nematódeos gastrintestinais de caprinos naturalmente infectados, da região de JaboticaballSP. Animais diagnosticados com infecção de nematódeos gastrintestinais, por meio de contagens de ovos por grama de fezes (OPG) superior a 500, foram randomizados e distribuídos em três grupos de 8 caprinos: Grupo I: Moxidectina 1 %, (200mcg/Kg) injetável, via subcutânea, na dose 1 mU50Kg; Grupo 11: Associação (Albendazole + Hidroclorido de Levamizole + Ivermectina) via per os, 1mU4Kg e Grupo 111: Controle (Solução Fisiológica) 1mU50Kg, via subcutânea. Após sete dias os animais foram eutanasiados e necropsiados para colheita, identificação e contagem dos helmintos. As espécies encontradas foram: Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongy/us. co/ubriformis, T. axei, Oesophagostomum co/umbianum, Trichuris ovis e Capillaria bovis, sendo o H. contortus e T. co/ubriformis os mais expressivos com 57,49% e 47,25%, respectivamente. A associação demonstrou eficácia superior a 99% sobre as seis espécies, atingindo 100%, contra quatro delas, enquanto a moxidectina, em apenas quatro, obtendo eficácia máxima apenas contra duas espécies. / The efficiency of two anti-parasitic has been assessed in the present study: Moxidectin -1 % and the association of (Albendazole + Levamizole + Ivennectine) in the treatment of gastro-intestinal nematodes in naturally infected caprines in the region of Jaboticabal/SP. Animais diagnosticated whit gastro-intestinal nematode infection, by the count of eggs per gram of stools (EPG) superior to 500, were randomized and distributed in three groups of 8 caprines: Group I: Moxidectin 1 %, (200mcg/Kg), inserted, via sub-cutaneous, administered at a dose of 1 mU50kg; Group 11: Association of (Albendazole + Hydrochloridric Levamizole + Ivennectine) via peros, 1 mU4Kg and Group 111: Control (Fisiologic Solution) 1 mU50Kg, via subcutaneous. After seven days, the animais were euthanasied and necropsied for the harvest, identification and counting of helmints. The found species were: Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongy/us co/ubriformis, T. axei, Oesophagostomun co/umbianum, Trichuris ovis and Capillaria bovis, finding that H. contortus and T. co/ubriformis are the most expressive ones whit 57,49% and 47,25% respectively. The association showed efficacy superior to 99% over the six species, reaching 100% against four, whereas moxidectin, only four, obtaining the maximum against two species.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-01T23:44:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_8689_PERPÉTUO, César - Dissertação - entregue em 05-07-201720170713-101816.pdf: 1569896 bytes, checksum: ce87e53125fc7de0ba937b605517917b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-05-05 / A American Historical Review (AHR) foi criada em 1895 por um pequeno grupo de intelectuais que, motivados pelo surgimento de diversos outros periódicos no século XIX, buscavam criar uma nova plataforma para que todos os historiadores norte-americanos pudessem publicar os seus trabalhos e criar novos laços profissionais com os seus colegas. Na AHR eram publicadas uma série de resenhas, documentos, artigos autorais e outros tipos de comunicados e textos que foram responsáveis por facilitar o debate e o contato entre historiadores e outros intelectuais. Neste trabalho de dissertação, pretendo mostrar como é possível a realização de uma profunda análise sobre a historiografia de uma determinada época a partir do estudo das revistas de história, pegando como exemplo os primeiros vinte anos de existência da American Historical Review, compreendendo sua história, conjuntura, e mapeando os artigos autorais publicados na mesma para encontrar um padrão de principais recortes, temáticas e objetos de estudo que possam nos mostrar qual era a fisionomia da AHR naquela época.