<p>Restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) is a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research suggests that the severity of RRB may be influenced by both environmental variables (e.g., absence of sensory stimulation input) and neurophysiological activity within the body (e.g., atypical regulatory capacity of the autonomic nervous system). Substantial research efforts have been devoted to the assessment of factors that influence the occurrence of RRB in individuals with ASD, which have led to the development of assessment methodologies, such as functional analysis, to identify specific contexts in which RRB occurs, and measures of heart rate variability (HRV) to index the level of neurophysiological activity for individuals with ASD.</p><p>However, despite the increasing consensus that the assessment and treatment of RRB require a more comprehensive approach due to the complexity and heterogeneity of the neurodevelopmental disorder, there exists a paucity in research that addresses both the functional behavioral and neurophysiological dimensions of RRB. This study aimed to address this gap by (a) designing and evaluating the effects of an integrated function-based assessment on identification of the functional subtypes of RRB and (b) examining the relationship between RRB and HRV as an indicator of neurophysiological functioning. The study included six participants, ages four to seven, with ASD. A single-case alternating treatments design, with two conditions simulating low- and high-stimulation environments, was used for the assessment of functional subtypes within each participant. Dependent variables included the duration of RRB and HRV. RRB was measured using MOOSES, a multi-option observation system for experimental studies. HRV was measured using wearable technology that collects blood volume pulse. Visual analysis of time series data as well as nonparametric analyses of the dependent variables were conducted to determine the functional subtypes of RRB and the association between HRV and RRB across participants.</p><p>Study results suggest that (a) the integrated assessment is effective in identifying specific functional subtypes of RRB and (b) HRV is positively correlated with the rate of RRB. The findings of this study offer new insights on the understanding of how underlying environmental and neurophysiological mechanisms may influence the occurrence of RRB in ASD. Furthermore, the study provides an integrated assessment model that can be feasibly implemented in applied settings.</p>

The Master's thesis is focused on the quality management in Industrial Turbomachinery, a subsidiary company of Siemens. On the basis of a demand from the management and the current state the thesis defines and solves the problem, which is an identification of possible causes of failures in the new technical solution to the locking system which is a part of the last stages of the blade lines on the steam turbine rotor. To solve the problem, the thesis firstly tries to find a suitable method, which is subsequently applied.

Quasidiagonality is a matricial approximation property which asymptotically captures the multiplicative structure of C* -algebras. Quasidiagonal C* -algebras must be stably finite. It has been conjectured by Blackadar and Kirchberg that stably finiteness implies quasidiagonality for the class of separable nuclear C* -algebras. It has also been conjectured that separable exact quasidiagonal C* -algebras are AF embeddable. In this thesis, we study the behavior of these conjectures in the context of extensions 0 → I → E → B → 0. Specifically, we show that if I is exact and connective and B is separable, nuclear, and quasidiagonal (AF embeddable), then E is quasidiagonal (AF embeddable). Additionally, we show that if I is of the form C(X) ⊗ K for a compact metrizable space X and B is separable, nuclear, quasidiagonal (AF embeddable), and satisfies the UCT, then E is quasidiagonal (AF embeddable) if and only if E is stably finite.

Empty Shells. Three Tales on the Relativization of the Axiological Core of Democracy - Abstract JUDr. Bc. Filip Horák The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the problem of gradual softening of the democratic political system's axiological core. Firstly, the thesis illustrates the problem via three tales narrated by Carl Schmitt, Hannah Arendt and Leo Strauss, who in a very similar manner critically analyzed the "axiological leap" leading to the disintegration of fundamental values and principles of democracy. Secondly, the thesis offers a new methodological approach combining empirical functional analysis of the individual values constituting democracy's axiological core (i.e. equality, liberty, justice and dignity) with a teleological approach focusing on the original purposes and functions of these values. Using functional analysis, the thesis examines possible interpretations and functions of the aforementioned values and shows that all of them evince a high degree of vagueness and ambiguity, which makes them so-called "empty shells" that can be filled with almost any content, meaning or function. This is also the main cause of the disintegration of the democracy's axiological core. Thirdly, the thesis theoretically reconstructs the original and stable axiological core using teleological approach....

Very few behavior-change programs with canines produce effects that persist beyond the training condition. The present study is an experimental demonstration of a constructional program that established calm patterns of behavior as alternatives to hyperactive ones. Three dogs that exhibited hyperactive patterns were chosen as subjects. Seven conditions common to canine-caretaker relationships were used to determine which factors resulted in the hyperactive patterns. Then, sitting and lying down were taught as beginning points using touch as a reinforcer. The final behavior, maintained by naturally occurring reinforcers, was established errorlessly. The study used a control-analysis strategy of behavior change with a changing-criterion design. The intervention resulted in an immediate reduction in hyperactivity and an increase in sitting and lying down for all dogs.

We introduce the notion of an abstract projection in an operator system and when a finite number of positive contractions in an operator system are all simultaneously abstract projections in that operator system. We extend this notion to Archimedean order unit spaces where we prove when a positive contraction is an abstract projection in some operator system, and furthermore when a finite number of positive contractions in an Archimedean order unit space are all simultaneously abstract projections in a single operator system. These methods are then used to provide new characterizations of both nonsignalling and quantum commuting correlations. In particular, we construct a universal Archimedean order unit space such that every quantum commuting correlation may be realized as the image of a unital linear positive map acting on the generators of that Archimedean order unit space. We also construct an Archimedean order unit space which is universal (in the same way) to nonsignalling correlations. We conclude with results concerning weak dual matrix ordered *-vector spaces and the operator systems they induce.

A functional analysis (FA) is the most commonly used assessment methodology for identifying maintaining variables influencing problem behavior. However, if an FA does not produce clear differentiation, researchers and practitioners often then modify procedures to include additional individualized variables. The interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) provides a marked departure from FA methodology and aims to include individualized factors at the initiation of the assessment in order to more rapidly produce differentiation and clear results. We sought to further evaluate and compare the outcomes of two different functional analysis methods: the single-contingency functional analysis (FA) and the interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) to determine the function of problem behavior and evaluate the subsequent function-based treatment determined from the functional analysis results with two children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both participants engaged in problem behavior maintained by single-contingencies of reinforcement identified within the single-contingency FA and emphasized by the effectiveness of each single-contingency function-based treatment.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(文学) / 甲第18710号 / 文博第668号 / 新制||文||612(附属図書館) / 31661 / 京都大学大学院文学研究科文献文化学専攻 / (主査)教授 家入 葉子, 教授 佐々木 徹, 准教授 廣田 篤彦 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Letters / Kyoto University / DGAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第21635号 / 医博第4441号 / 新制||医||1034(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 椛島 健治, 教授 岩田 想, 教授 山田 亮 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

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