The present study evaluated the effectiveness of stimulus equivalence procedures using the instructional protocols from the PEAK-E curriculum to develop the emergence of cause and effect relational responding in two children with autism. The procedures were taken from the PEAK-E program Transitivity: Multiple Actions & Outcomes-9p to aid in clinical replication. This study utilized a multiple baseline design across participants to evaluate the functional relationship between cause and effect relations. The results suggested that direct training of an action (A) to an outcome (B) (A-B) and direct training of an outcome (B) with an action that is produced by the outcome (C) (B-C) was effective for both participants. Following A-B and B-C training, the participants demonstrated emergent relations and untrained action (A) to action (C) relations which are consistent with transitivity. The results demonstrate efficacy of stimulus equivalence procedures for training cause and effect skills as well as the PEAK-E curriculum

The present study investigates the language phenomenon of stimulus equivalence in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Stimulus equivalence is comprised of 3 main concepts: reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity. Specifically, the researcher evaluated the ability to teach, test, and transfer sequential reflexivity across two participants. Two 4-year-old children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder participated in the study. Methods were derived from the program: Reflexivity: Pictures – 2A, along with a yes/no response modification to suite both of the participant’s current level of developmental skills. The results suggest that the PEAK-E curriculum was effective in training and testing both children to establish reflexivity across stimulus set one. In addition, both participants demonstrated a transfer of stimulus function to an untrained stimulus set two once the trained stimulus set one was mastered.

This study sought to evaluate the efficiency of the methods outlined in the Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Relational Training System Equivalence Module (PEAK-E) utilizing a single-subject design. Three participants from a Midwest town were recruited to participate in the study and were assessed and validity, reliability, and efficacy were evaluated to determine the assessments ability to identify three language skills that weren’t currently present in their repertoire. Baseline levels determined that the 3 skills for each participant (a total of 9 skills across the 3 participants) were not currently present in their repertoire prior to implementation of PEAK-E programs, as the participants demonstrated low levels of correct responding. Upon completion of program implementation across all three participants with autism, mastery criteria was obtained for all directly trained skills, and relations were derived for 9 out of 9 programs.

abstract: Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) are widely used for modeling responses with non-normal error distributions. When the values of the covariates in such models are controllable, finding an optimal (or at least efficient) design could greatly facilitate the work of collecting and analyzing data. In fact, many theoretical results are obtained on a case-by-case basis, while in other situations, researchers also rely heavily on computational tools for design selection. Three topics are investigated in this dissertation with each one focusing on one type of GLMs. Topic I considers GLMs with factorial effects and one continuous covariate. Factors can have interactions among each other and there is no restriction on the possible values of the continuous covariate. The locally D-optimal design structures for such models are identified and results for obtaining smaller optimal designs using orthogonal arrays (OAs) are presented. Topic II considers GLMs with multiple covariates under the assumptions that all but one covariate are bounded within specified intervals and interaction effects among those bounded covariates may also exist. An explicit formula for D-optimal designs is derived and OA-based smaller D-optimal designs for models with one or two two-factor interactions are also constructed. Topic III considers multiple-covariate logistic models. All covariates are nonnegative and there is no interaction among them. Two types of D-optimal design structures are identified and their global D-optimality is proved using the celebrated equivalence theorem. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Statistics 2018

Orientador: Adalberto Spezamiglio / Banca: Weber Flávio Pereira / Banca: Waldemar Donizete Bastos / Resumo: Neste trabalho estudamos problemas clássicos de controle para sistemas de equações diferenciais ordinárias lineares. O ponto de partida é a equivalência entre uma equação diferencial ordinária linear de ordem n e um sistema de n equações de primeira ordem. Problemas de controlabilidade completa, observabilidade e estabi- lização de equilíbrio são considerados. / Abstract: We consider here classic problems on control for a system of ordinary diferential equations. The starting point is the equivalence between a linear equation of nth order of ordinary diferential equation and a system of n equations of first order. Problems on complete controllability, observability and stabilization of equilibrium are considered. / Mestre

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2) à uma sÃndrome que pode ser definida como uma condiÃÃo de distÃrbios metabÃlicos heterogÃneos caracterizados por hiperglicemia resultante de defeitos na secreÃÃo e aÃÃo da insulina, ou ambos. A metformina à o fÃrmaco de primeira escolha para tratamento de DM2, sendo o anti-hiperglicemiante oral mais amplamente prescrito, devido ao seu perfil de toxicidade reduzida e eficÃcia clÃnica. Os estudos de biodisponibilidade apresentam diversas funÃÃes, entres elas podem-se listar: avaliaÃÃo da bioequivalÃncia de medicamentos, avaliaÃÃo de medicamentos com princÃpios ativos novos e avaliaÃÃo de novas formulaÃÃes. Este estudo teve o objetivo de avaliar a biodisponibilidade entre uma formulaÃÃo de cloridrato de metformina 850 mg em comprimidos revestidos, chamada formulaÃÃo teste, versus uma formulaÃÃo de referÃncia no mercado nacional com a mesma dose do fÃrmaco e mesma forma farmacÃutica, em voluntÃrios sadios de ambos os sexos. Trata-se de um ensaio clÃnico do tipo aberto, randomizado, cruzado, com dois perÃodos, duas sequÃncias, nos quais os voluntÃrios receberam em cada perÃodo distinto, 01 comprimido revestido da formulaÃÃo teste ou 01 da formulaÃÃo de referÃncia. As formulaÃÃes foram administradas em dose Ãnica, via oral, seguida de coletas de sangue, de pelo menos quatro meias-vidas do fÃrmaco em estudo. Os perÃodos de tratamento obedeceram a um intervalo de sete meias-vidas, entre eles (washout). As concentraÃÃes plasmÃticas de metformina foram dosadas por mÃtodo analÃtico especÃfico e validado, baseado em cromatografia lÃquida de alta eficiÃncia acoplada à espectrometria de massa (CLAE/EM). Os dados deste estudo revelaram que a formulaÃÃo teste e a formulaÃÃo referÃncia apresentaram resultados equivalentes, dentro dos limites de variaÃÃo previstos nas normativas reguladoras (80-125%) para os parÃmetros ASCinf (Ãrea sob a curva) e Cmax (concentraÃÃo sÃrica mÃxima do fÃrmaco). Desse modo, serà possÃvel garantir uma intercambialidade entre as formulaÃÃes, que poderà gerar competiÃÃo no mercado e consequentemente preÃos mais competitivos e facilidade de acesso ao medicamento. / Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2 is a syndrome which may be defined as a condition of heterogeneous metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion and action, or both. Metformin is the drug of choice for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and it is the oral antihyperglyciemic most widely prescribed, due to their favorable toxicity profile and efficacy. Bioavailability studies have several functions including assessment of drugs bioequivalence, evaluation of drugs with new active principles and evaluating new formulations. This study aimed to assess the bioavailability of a formulation of metformin hydrochloride 850 mg film coated tablets, called test formulation, versus a reference formulation in the national market with the same dose of the drug in healthy volunteers of both genders. This is a clinical trial open-type, randomized, crossed, two-period, two-sequence, in which the volunteers received in each distinct period of 01 film coated tablet formulation of 01 test or reference formulation. The formulations were administered in a single oral dose, followed by blood sampling, at least four half-lives of study drug. The treatment periods obeyed an interval of seven half-lives, between them (washout). The metformin plasma concentrations were measured by a specific and validated analytical method based on high efficiency liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HELC / MS). The data from this study reveal that the test formulation and the reference formulation showed similar results within the variation limits provided in the regulator norms (80-125%) for AUCinf (area under the curve) and Cmax (maximum serum concentration of drug). Thus, it will be possible ensure interchangeability between the formulations, which could lead to market competition and therefore more competitive prices and easy access to the drug.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi verificar variáveis relevantes no ensino de leitura via o paradigma de equivalência, sobretudo na emergência do controle por unidades menores e leitura recombinativa. Por meio do software EQUIV foram ensinadas relações entre a palavra ditada e impressa (AC) e entre a palavra ditada e a respectiva figura (AB); em seguida eram testadas (1) as relações de equivalência entre figura-palavra impressa (BC) e palavra impressa-figura (CB), e (2) a leitura de novas palavras, formadas pela recombinação das unidades menores presentes nas palavras ensinadas previamente. A variável manipulada na presente pesquisa foi a solicitação para emissão de um comportamento textual nos treinos com tentativas AC. Oito crianças (quatro no grupo controle) participaram do programa, com 21 fases experimentais divididas em quatro tipos básicos: Pré-Teste , Pré-Treino, Treinos e Testes (04 palavras eram ensinadas, 08 ensinadas e testadas e 04 apenas testadas). Depois de aprenderem três conjuntos formados por quatro palavras (compostas por letras e sílabas sistematicamente recombinadas), os participantes mostraram aquisição de leitura com compreensão de palavras e sílabas, recombinação de unidades menores e leitura recombinativa em performances próximas de 100% de acertos. Os Pré e Pós-testes também mostraram que todos os participantes foram capazes de desenvolver o repertório de nomear palavras e sílabas as quais não eram capazes de nomear anteriormente. Entretanto, a comparação entre dois grupos (controle e experimental) sugeriu que a emissão de comportamento textual durante a tarefa não foi uma variável crítica sobre a emergência do controle por unidades menores e leitura recombinativa, já que os resultados foram estatisticamente semelhantes. Conclui-se que, conforme apontam os estudos prévios de Hübner e Hübner e Matos, o número de conjuntos de palavras treinado (o que envolve o treino de múltiplos exemplares) e a forma como as unidades menores que a palavra são recombinadas sistematicamente ao longo do procedimento são as variáveis mais importantes envolvidas na leitura recombinativa e no controle por unidades menores. / The objective of the present study was to verify relevant variables in the teaching of reading through equivalence paradigm, mainly in the emergence of the control by minimal units emergence and recombinative reading. Using the EQUIV software, relations between oral-printed word (AC) and between the oral word-picture were taught (AB). After that, were tested: (1) relations between picture-printed word (BC) and between printed word-picture (CB); and (2) the reading of novel words, which are composed by the minimal units of the words taught previously. The variable manipulated on the present research was a textual behavior request in the AC training trials. Eight children (four on control group) participated in the program, which consists of 21 experimental phases divided in four basic types: pre-test, pre-training, training and tests (04 words were taught, 08 words were taught and tested and 04 words were only tested). After learning three sets of 04 words (composed by letters and syllables systematic recombined), participants showed acquisition of reading comprehension with word and syllable, recombination of minimal units and recombinative reading in closer to 100% correct performances. Pretests and posttests showed that all participants developed the repertoire of oral naming words and syllables that they weren\'t able to name before. Nevertheless, comparison between the two groups suggested that textual behavior request wasn\'t a critical variable over the emergence of control by minimal units and recombinative reading, since both results are statistically similar. It seems to be, according to Hübner and Matos and Hübner previous studies, that the number of word sets trained (which involves multiple exemplars training) and the systematic recombination of minimal units used during procedure are the most important variables involved in recombinative reading and minimal units control.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / There is an overwhelming concern about substance use amongst adolescents across the world, especially in low socio-economic status communities. The South African Substance Use Contextual Risk Instrument was developed to capture the contextual risk factors for adolescents in low socio-economic status South African communities. This study is part of a larger study which aimed to develop and conduct the initial validation of the instrument. In piloting the instrument, both English and isiXhosa mother tongue speakers were tested using the English version since the instrument is only available in English. The equivalence of the measure across the English and isiXhosa mother tongue speakers is however unknown. The purpose of this study is therefore to assess the scalar equivalence of the English version across the English and isiXhosa mother tongue speakers. The total sample was 674 consisting of 420 English and 247 isiXhosa language groups from low socio-economic status communities in Cape Town. The study employed the Hoteling’s T square test (to assess significant difference of means between the groups), the equality of reliabilities (to assess the significance of differences between the scale reliabilities) and the Tucker’s Phi coefficient of congruence (to assess the congruence of the construct across the two groups). In assessing the mean differences, the results revealed that there were significant mean differences, with the isiXhosa-speaking group performing significantly lower than the English-speaking group for most of the scales. Internal consistency was also generally lower for the isiXhosa group. The structural congruence revealed that there was incongruence between the two language groups for most of the scales with an exception of two of the twenty one scales. It can thus be concluded that the measure cannot be accepted as structurally equivalent across the two groups. It is clear that bias exists in the majority of the scales of the SASUCRI and that this version is thus not applicable for an isiXhosa speaking sample. The study recommends that the instrument is adapted for the isiXhosa speaking group. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

In this thesis we use the natural equivalence of fuzzy subgroups studied by Murali and Makamba [25] to characterize fuzzy subgroups of some finite groups. We focus on the determination of the number of equivalence classes of fuzzy subgroups of some selected finite groups using this equivalence relation and its extension. Firstly we give a brief discussion on the theory of fuzzy sets and fuzzy subgroups. We prove a few properties of fuzzy sets and fuzzy subgroups. We then introduce the selected groups namely the symmetric group 3 S , dihedral group 4 D , the quaternion group Q8 , cyclic p-group pn G = Z/ , pn qm G = Z/ + Z/ , p q r G Z Z Z n m = / + / + / and pn qm r s G = Z/ + Z/ + Z/ where p,q and r are distinct primes and n,m, s Î N/ . We also present their subgroups structures and construct lattice diagrams of subgroups in order to study their maximal chains. We compute the number of maximal chains and give a brief explanation on how the maximal chains are used in the determination of the number of equivalence classes of fuzzy subgroups. In determining the number of equivalence classes of fuzzy subgroups of a group, we first list down all the maximal chains of the group. Secondly we pick any maximal chain and compute the number of distinct fuzzy subgroups represented by that maximal chain, expressing each fuzzy subgroup in the form of a keychain. Thereafter we pick the next maximal chain and count the number of equivalence classes of fuzzy subgroups not counted in the first chain. We proceed inductively until all the maximal chains have been exhausted. The total number of fuzzy subgroups obtained in all the maximal chains represents the number of equivalence classes of fuzzy subgroups for the entire group, (see sections 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.6, 3.2.8, 3.2.9, 3.2.15, 3.16 and 3.17 for the case of selected finite groups). We study, establish and prove the formulae for the number of maximal chains for the groups pn qm G = Z/ + Z/ , p q r G Z Z Z n m = / + / + / and pn qm r s G = Z/ + Z/ + Z/ where p,q and r are distinct primes and n,m, s Î N/ . To accomplish this, we use lattice diagrams of subgroups of these groups to identify the maximal chains. For instance, the group pn qm G = Z/ + Z/ would require the use of a 2- dimensional rectangular diagram (see section 3.2.18 and 5.3.5), while for the group pn qm r s G = Z/ + Z/ + Z/ we execute 3- dimensional lattice diagrams of subgroups (see section 5.4.2, 5.4.3, 5.4.4, 5.4.5 and 5.4.6). It is through these lattice diagrams that we identify routes through which to carry out the extensions. Since fuzzy subgroups represented by maximal chains are viewed as keychains, we give a brief discussion on the notion of keychains, pins and their extensions. We present propositions and proofs on why this counting technique is justifiable. We derive and prove formulae for the number of equivalence classes of the groups pn qm G = Z/ + Z/ , p q r G Z Z Z n m = / + / + / and pn qm r s G = Z/ + Z/ + Z/ where p,q and r are distinct primes and n,m, s Î N/ . We give a detailed explanation and illustrations on how this keychain extension principle works in Chapter Five. We conclude by giving specific illustrations on how we compute the number of equivalence classes of a fuzzy subgroup for the group p2 q2 r 2 G = Z/ + Z/ + Z/ from the number of fuzzy subgroups of the group p q r G = Z/ + Z/ + Z/ 1 2 2 . This illustrates a general technique of computing the number of fuzzy subgroups of G = Z/ + Z/ + Z/ from the number of fuzzy subgroups of 1 -1 = / + / + / pn qm r s G Z Z Z . Our illustration also shows two ways of extending from a lattice diagram of 1 G to that of G .

Com o número crescente de pesquisas sobre a formação de discriminações condicionais e de equivalência de estímulos, outras explicações, além daquelas relacionadas ao reforçamento diferencial, surgiram. Tais estudos passaram a sugerir que o comportamento verbal poderia facilitar a formação do responder discriminativo e da equivalência de estímulos. Porém, poucas tem sido as pesquisas que se concentraram em investigar, especificamente, o efeito do comportamento verbal autoclítico relacional/qualificador neste responder. O objetivo da presente pesquisa foi analisar se uma instrução que orientou os participantes a emitir uma resposta verbal vocal com autoclítico relacional/qualificador é e uma instrução que orientou os participantes a emitirem uma resposta verbal concorrente (entre a apresentação do estímulo modelo e a resposta de escolha do estímulo comparação, em uma tarefa de matching to sample) produzem efeitos na formação de classes de equivalência e se influencia na quantidade de tentativas necessárias para a formação do responder discriminativo condicional. Foram estudados vinte e cinco participantes adultos, divididos em três grupos: Grupo Controle 1, Grupo Controle 2 e Grupo Experimental. Todos os participantes foram submetidos a três treinos de discriminações condicionais (AB, BC e CD) e a dois testes de equivalência (AD e DA). Cada conjunto continha três estímulos visuais abstratos e cada treino foi composto por doze tentativas. O critério de aprendizagem era a ocorrência de uma sequência de 100% de respostas corretas no treino. A instrução com o autoclítico relacional/qualificador foi apresentada apenas aos participantes do Grupo Experimental e a instrução contendo a resposta verbal concorrente foi apresentada apenas aos participantes do Grupo Controle 2. Os resultados obtidos nos treinos de discriminações condicionais mostram um desempenho semelhante entre os participantes do Grupo Controle 1 e 2 e um desempenho inicial otimizado dos participantes do Grupo Experimental. Nos testes de equivalência de estímulos foi observado um índice superior de resultados positivos para os participantes do Grupo Experimental, em relação aos participantes dos Grupos Controle 1 e 2. A verbalização do autoclítico relacional/qualificador auxiliou os participantes do Grupo Experimental a estabelecerem o controle de estímulos planejado, já que todos os participantes emitiram a resposta verbal vocal este é este, acompanhado da resposta de escolha correta, reforçada diferencialmente. A análise dos Grupos Controle 1 e 2 permitiu a discussão sobre o papel do comportamento verbal na aquisição de relações condicionais e na formação de classes de equivalência, já que no Grupo Controle 1 os participantes permaneceram em silêncio, em contraste com os participantes do Grupo Experimental / With the increasing number of researches on the formation of conditional discriminations and stimulus equivalence, other explanations, in addition to those related to differential reinforcement, have emerged. Such studies have suggested that verbal behavior could facilitate the formation of discriminative response and the equivalence of stimuli. However, few studies have focused on investigating, specifically, the effect of verbal behavior autoclitic relational/qualifying in responding. The purpose of the present research was to analyze whether an instruction that instructed the participants to issue a verbal vocal response with autoclitic relational/qualifying \"is\" and an instruction that instructed the participants to issue a concurrent verbal response (between the presentation of the model stimulus and the response of choice of the stimulus comparison, in a matching to sample task) produce effects on the formation of equivalence classes and influence the amount of attempts required for the formation of conditional discriminative response. Twenty-five adult participants were studied, divided in three groups: Control Group 1, Control Group 2 and Experimental Group. All participants underwent three conditional discriminations (AB, BC and CD) and two equivalence tests (AD and AD). Each set contained three abstract visual stimuli and each training consisted of twelve attempts. The learning criterion was the occurrence of a sequence of 100% correct answers in the training. The instruction with the autoclitic relational/qualifying was presented only to the participants of the Experimental Group and the statement containing the concurrent verbal response was presented only to the participants of the Control Group 2. The results obtained in the conditional discrimination training show a similar performance among the participants of the Control Group 1 and 2 and an optimized initial performance of the participants of the Experimental Group. In the equivalence tests of stimuli, a superior index of positive results was observed for the participants of the Experimental Group, in relation to the participants of the Control Groups 1 and 2. The verbalization of the autoclítico relational/qualifying helped the participants of the Experimental Group to establish the control of stimuli planned, since all the participants issued the vocal verbal response \"this is this\", accompanied by the correct choice answer, differentially reinforced. The analysis of Control Groups 1 and 2 allowed the discussion about the role of verbal behavior in the acquisition of conditional relations and in the formation of equivalence classes, since in Control Group 1 the participants remained silent, in contrast to the participants of the Experimental Group